The invention disclosed herein relates to electronic delivery of documents exchangeable for value (goods and/or services) such as counterfeit-resistant admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons, vouchers and other documents directly to a location designated by the ordering party over an open network, such as the Internet or the telephone system.
Modern communications and open networks such as the Internet have made the purchase of admission tickets more convenient for individuals. For example, tickets can be ordered via the Internet, or from kiosks, or by telephone (voice or electronically). In response to information provided by the ordering party, the ticketing company provides an admission ticket that is delivered by mail (or a delivery service), or to a kiosk, or provided for pick-up, e.g. at a box office. One drawback in these ticket purchasing procedures is that the purchaser must wait for the tickets to be delivered, or the purchaser must go to a kiosk to order, or the purchaser must pick up the ticket(s) at a designated location. While these order and delivery and pick-up procedures are more or less secure, they are inconvenient to the purchaser. Purchasing gift certificates, which are frequently given during the year-end holiday season, can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience. In the case of coupons and vouchers, it would be convenient to be able to provide these interactively, for example while a PC user is surfing the Web, or through telemarketing, etc.
Applicant is unaware of any system which electronically delivers documents exchangeable for value ordered or accepted by telephone or over the Internet other than as described above. There is a need for a secure and more convenient, counterfeit-resistant document ordering and delivering system, which the invention provides.